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Other stories in "Fall"

• This weekend
  Santa comes in on a ship, a float and a fish house.
• Big birds on the move
  On the Mississippi, tundra swans and bald eagles are heading south.
• Join the fun
  With an outdoors club, make friends, see new places and save money.
• Head toward the (twinkling) lights
  At Christmas, tourist destinations pull out all the stops.
• Remember the wrecks
  On Lake Superior, gales of November bring haunting memories.
• All quiet up north
  Like the leaves, room rates have dropped.
• Save on the ski hills
  Get a deal now on a season pass.
• Good deals
  Stay in Itasca for less.
• Home of horsepower
  In Wisconsin, see where race cars, snowmobiles, outboards and motorcycles were born.
• On the ropes in Lanesboro
  Try walking a high wire on Halloween.
• Eyes on the skies
  On bluffs and ridges, it's time to watch the hawk migration.
• Culture in the bluffs
  Follow musicians to four unusual venues near the Mississippi.
• Ghouls ahoy
  On Great Lakes, two haunted ships are spoiling for a fright.
• Scenery in the studios
  On autumn art tours, treasure hunters strike gold (and orange and red).
• Hot tip/A different North Shore
  Didn't reserve for fall-color season? Thunder Bay has rooms.
• Hunters on the North Shore
  A special deer season this weekend may put guns close to hikers.
• Go on a trail-clearing trip
  If you enjoy a hike, help make it possible for others.

10 great trails to ride in fall

Here's where to get your fill of flora, fauna and fall colors.

Great River in southwest Wisconsin: Along the Mississippi between Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge and Onalaska, over bottomlands and bogs.

Central Lakes in western Minnesota: Between Fergus Falls and Osakis, with lots of prairie wildflowers and birds.

Red Cedar in western Wisconsin: A serene stretch along the Red Cedar River from Menomonie to the Chippewa River.

Mesabi in northern Minnesota: A hilly trail (pictured) that passes lots of gorgeous mine-pit lakes between Grand Rapids and Eveleth.

Root River in southeast Minnesota: Goes through the leafy Root River Valley between Fountain and Houston, passing the adorable village of Lanesboro.

Lake Wobegon in central Minnesota: A journey through a mythic landscape, with lots of steepled churches, between St. Joseph and Sauk Centre.

Old Abe in western Wisconsin: A bucolic path along the Chippewa River between Chippewa Falls and Cornell, with heron sightings likely.

Badger in southern Wisconsin: Slices through cheese country from the far edge of Madison to the Illinois border.

Paul Bunyan in northern Minnesota: Lots of great fall color and lakes along this trail from Brainerd/Baxter to Walker.

Grand Rounds in Minneapolis: An urban dream on parkways along the Mississippi River and Chain of Lakes.

For a list of fall festivals you can hit along the way, see Bash on a bike trail.

Last updated on September 11, 2008